Enjoy fast, FREE delivery, exclusive deals and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns

FREE delivery Monday, October 16 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Select delivery location

In Stock

$$14.95 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Payment

Secure transaction

Payment

Secure transaction

We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more

Ships from

Amazon.com

Ships from

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Sold by

Amazon.com

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

Returns

Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt

This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.

Read full return policy

Details

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery Tuesday, October 17 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35

Select delivery location

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Champeons

Fulfilled by Amazon

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.

Have one to sell?

Sell on Amazon

Follow the Author

Jenny Baranick

Kiss My Asterisk: A Feisty Guide to Punctuation and Grammar Paperback – March 4, 2014

by Jenny Baranick (Author)

4.2 337 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$10.99

—

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$17.62

$13.64

$2.74

Paperback

"Please retry"

$14.95

$1.89

Kindle
$10.99 Read with our Free App
Hardcover
$17.62

22 Used from $2.74 5 New from $13.64
Paperback
$14.95

13 Used from $1.89 2 New from $14.95

{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$14.95","priceAmount":14.95,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"14","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"95","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"HeCg2OugaH5VE1attH0uAoBFXiVXROoF50UTok%2FZRRx%2B7FabxwXFzHmBqCZ5UqLkVDdL5CtEbQIdY%2Bi5qan9Uw34d5CsKPqPKjC30Tc5P5cSxnW0sABOePuNtE3sFS%2BAguvrN%2F61rpJxTnHBcFWPTQ%3D%3D","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$11.99","priceAmount":11.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"11","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"HeCg2OugaH5VE1attH0uAoBFXiVXROoFXKG1yUq9QdXecpUmR2wrabKVe%2FmvhFYS%2F14oFYwDesIdQ7ltnCEji56ghlAHP1OQd9ioMutjJMRncdL%2BJK9kodK1cThDUhjH%2BpAQdbxa98cJxy4YeqHy9INtlZfZWJ4KzTSMwtMd1e2tUH0EA8CXV12gTX%2BDxdjy","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Grammar has finally let its hair down! Unlike uptight grammar books that overwhelm us with every single grammar rule, Kiss My Asterisk is like a bikini: it’s fun, flirty, and covers only the most important bits. Its lessons, which are 100 percent free of complicated grammar jargon, have been carefully selected to include today’s most common, noticeable errorsthe ones that confuse our readers or make them wonder if we are, in fact, smarter than a fifth grader. What is the proper use of an apostrophe? When should an ellipsis be used instead of an em dash? Why do we capitalize President Obama but not the president”? And why is that question mark placed outside of the end quote?

Author Jenny Baranick is an English professor whose students can’t believe she’s actually that into grammar. Upon experiencing the joys of grammar at an early age, raising grammar awareness became Jenny’s raison d’être. By spreading her remarkably user-friendly and hilarious approach to grammar, she hopes everyone will experience the satisfaction of a properly placed comma, a precisely used semicolon, and a correctly deployed en dash.

Kiss My Asterisk shows grammar as it’s never been seen before: uncomplicated, laugh-out-loud funny, and, dare we say, a little risqué.

Print length

176 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Skyhorse
Publication date

March 4, 2014
Dimensions

5.5 x 0.6 x 7.5 inches
ISBN-10

1628737506
ISBN-13

978-1628737509
See all details

June Casagrande
1,494
Paperback
85 offers from $3.96
Michael DiGiacomo
2,354
Paperback
in Grammar Reference
53 offers from $8.47
Patricia T. O'Conner
372
Paperback
74 offers from $4.03
Suzanne Gilad
541
Paperback
95 offers from $2.88
Lucy Cripps
577
Paperback
57 offers from $4.56
Arlene Miller
644
Paperback
40 offers from $8.03

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jenny Baranick: Jenny Baranick teaches English composition, critical thinking, and a remedial English class called Writing Skills at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Consistently shocked at the poor grammar of her students, in January 2010, Jenny started her popular Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares blog. She lives in Great Neck, New York.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Skyhorse; First Edition (March 4, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1628737506
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1628737509
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.6 x 7.5 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #758,676 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #206 in Editing Writing Reference (Books)
- #744 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference
- #847 in Grammar Reference (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 337 ratings

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Videos

Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!

Upload your video

Important information

To report an issue with this product, click here.

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.

Jenny Baranick

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.

Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

337 global ratings

5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star

How customer reviews and ratings work

Sort reviews by

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Wayne D. Johnson

Not your mother's grammar guide

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2018

Verified Purchase

If you want a tilillating, provocative peep under the covers and into the inner sanctum of good grammar and punctuation, “Kiss My Asterisk” by Jenny Baranick will fill the bill. But be warned: the author’s unique pedagogical approach definitely does not include the dry, academic rules generally associated with learning the fine points of English grammar. Slightly irreverent and decidedly naughty allusions may make you want to shove your Strunk and White “Elements of Style” handbook back in the drawer in lieu of much more entertaining grammar lessons! If you need to know whether you should “lay” or whether you should “lie” the leather whip down by the handcuffs, check chapter one and it will set you straight about those kinds of pesky spelling errors. References to penis envy when viewing Michelangelo's David form a slick segue to the introduction of plural pronouns. The topic of sending embarrassing emails was deftly covered by comparing hitting “send” too early to premature ejaculations. Need to know once and for all whether or not size matters? The chapter on en, em and hyphen dashes will set you straight. Or if you need advice on whether to use numerals or words in describing how many orgasms are faked every day, it’s all there. So set your expectations aside and buckle up for a great ride into the world of better writing. I loved the book!

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

BORN TO READ

The death of spelling and grammar cometh...

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2016

Verified Purchase

This is a book that has been in dire need for anyone who writes. Don't believe that professional publications employ editors who are experts in grammar. Neither correct spelling or grammar can be assumed by the reader to be correct. The difference between it's and it's is unknown by a large number of writers or editors but when this kind of error leads the first sentence in a front page article ìn the New York Times, life as it once was is just plain over. Was the preceeding comma necessary? Punctuation is a difficult subject. However, there is no excuse apart from sloppiness or the financial constraints that may preclude even top rate literature from employing competent editors and placing too much responsibility on computer programs. Whatever the cause, it MUST STOP!

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Jan H.

Wish more people would read this book

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

I am one of those people who can't stand it when people use the wrong form of a word or just flat misspell a word. This book puts the rules in an easy to understand form with just enough sass to keep a person interested.

Helpful

Jack Spratt

Great simple and entertaining tips

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2021

Verified Purchase

Always considered myself a careful author when it came to writing letters. I was always careful to go through multiple proof readings. I was surprised at my mistaken understanding of some of the basic principles, specifically semi-colons and apostrophes…ouch! Yes, there was some unnecessary filler but anyone other than an English major, who matriculated before the 1980’s, will benefit from these entertaining examples.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Jeff Willis

Actually makes learning grammar fun

Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this "feisty guide" to grammar. Most books on language usage are incredibly dry, but this one managed to inject some humor and entertainment value while also imparting useful information. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their grammar skills and avoid common mistakes, especially if other grammar books have been a turn off due to their dry presentation.

Helpful

Warrington W.

A Great Resource- and I'm dyslexic

Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

I dislike formal grammar rules because they are so erratic. This book seems to assume that is my point of view and rolls with it. She has a wonderfully light touch with this topic and clearly points me where I need to go with the corners I paint myself into.
I never expected to laugh out loud at a grammar guide but it's just a delight.
On a more serious note, I am dyslexic, so naturally, I became a writer. This book helps a lot. It really does!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

JoAnne Potter

Be Ready

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2021

Verified Purchase

Okay, I'm a former English teacher and a professional writer. I know all this already, but am buying copies for two other writers. Not for the information (which is flawless as far as I can tell) but for the laughs. Hilarious grammar. Who knew?

Helpful

Lucynda

Funny, lighthearted, and informational

Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book was a fun approach into grammar, as silly as it was at times. Some of the references were a little dated and felt a little forced, but the point got across! Definitely a fun read if grammar is of interest to you.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

P. F. Jeffery

Not very good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2015

Verified Purchase

I was going to award this book two stars, but decided that -- in fairness -- I should add a third. My first reason for this generosity is that I'm obviously not the reader at whom it's aimed. The second is that the title contains a clear warning that I'm not the intended reader. The book seems to be aimed at a youthful and semi-illiterate American person who's reading a printed copy. I am sixty-eight years old, adequately literate (if I do say so myself) and English. Moreover, I read the book (or most of it) on a Kindle.

To take the specifically Kindle trouble first, there are several points. One is that occasional passages are in a tiny font which I defy anyone, even half my age, to read. My guess is that these have been reproduced photographically from a printed copy. A second annoyance is that, in the exercises at the end of chapters, the reader is sometimes invited to circle answers in pencil. Admittedly, I wouldn't have done this anyway, but there is something chagrining in an invitation to perform an impossible task.

The book contains many cultural references that were lost on me, but might have signified something to a younger and/or American person. Here lies the warning in the title, which I was foolish enough to ignore. The pun on the first syllable of 'Asterisk' and one's nether regions doesn't work with my accent. Given that fact, I have only myself to blame if I found the book too American.

This volume contains some good advice on grammar and English usage, wittily presented, albeit the wit is often a little heavy-handed. Unfortunately, the bulk of that advice is unnecessary for a reasonably literate person. As an example, there is a woeful chapter on spelling. It is entirely given over to distinguishing between homophones, or what the author evidently believes to be near-homophones. These include mistakes I have never encountered, notably confusion between 'than' and 'that'. In the name of the sweet goddess, who would make such a blunder? I have seen other people and computer software, including Microsoft's grammar check, confound 'its' and 'it's', for example, so -- although I would not do this myself -- I have to concede that there's a place for it in a book such as this. That said, there are no examples here which (to my mind) should be necessary for an educated reader. The volume might have been improved by the inclusion of some more easily confused pairs of homophones, such as 'discrete' and 'discreet'. I've devised a mnemonic for this, of which I make a free gift to Ms Baranick, should she read this review and produce a revised edition. It is this: Crete is a discrete island. The word meaning 'separate' is spelt like the island of Crete. The word meaning 'trustworthy with confidences' is therefore the one ending '-eet'.

I would add that a chapter on spelling could do worse than to address such difficult to spell words as 'diarrhoea'. Double 'r'-h -- who'd have thought?

Ms Baranick includes a chapter on mistaken grammar strictures. I was surprised to find that it does not include the split infinitive. My view on this is that avoiding spit infinitives is not an inflexible rule, but that they should be avoided if a more elegant word sequence is available. I noticed at least three points at which Ms Baranick splits her infinitives and, on each occasion, I had no difficulty in correcting the sentence so that it reads more fluidly. One of these is 'to only (verb)' which, I would say, is always better expressed with 'only to (verb)'.

But (note, Ms Baranick, that I have no trouble in beginning a sentence with that word) to my mind, the most egregious offence against the English language to be found herein is 'second of all'. 'First of all' strikes me as acceptable English whereas, in my opinion, '(larger ordinal number than first) of all' is an abomination. Such slips as this do not give me much confidence in Ms Baranick's ability to guide us in the use of our beloved tongue.

The reason I read this book was that I'd just finished Lynne Truss' excellent 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves' (to which I'd award five stars) and was in the mood for something similar. Alas, I was sadly disappointed. As I've already intimated, this book would be well suited to a semi-illiterate young American reading a printed copy. The further one deviates from that template, the less satisfactory Ms Baranick's work proves to be. All of that said, the occasional good jokes and satisfactorily waspish comments kept me reading, and I should have been warned by the book title.

58 people found this helpful

R. Vakrat

What a brilliant book. I am so happy I bought it ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2015

Verified Purchase

What a brilliant book. I am so happy I bought it regardless of the negative reviews. The important thing to understand about this book is whether you are the target audience. I'm not a native English speaker and even after living almost a decade in London and working in IT I still feel uncomfortable about my writing. I am currently half way through the book and I feel that the author addresses all the areas I was most uncertain about. It's like she is reading my emails. I enjoy her little jokes and find the subject fascinating. I must agree that if you are a native English speaker with above average understanding of English grammar this book is not for you. But for anyone else, I would recommend.
Btw I probably still have some mistakes in this very review of a grammar book. But hey, I am work in progress!

9 people found this helpful

Perfect Patrick

Annoying

Reviewed in Canada on May 2, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book is full of forced humour which I found annoying and which obscures the content instead of entertaining and holding readers' interest. In some places the intended humor is downright obnoxious. For example the chapter on email is "Avoiding Premature Ejaculation".

2 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Let's hear it for good grammar!

Reviewed in Canada on October 17, 2015

Verified Purchase

Hear hear, Ms Baranick. However, I beg to differ with you on one example. "Five minutes ago, she told him to LAY down." should be "...she told him to LIE down." The infinitive is always TO LIE. Five minutes ago, he lay down.

10 people found this helpful

Maheengun

Humorously written while densely packed with detail.

Reviewed in Canada on October 28, 2018

Verified Purchase

This book is a fun little read. It provides excellent punctuation and grammatical rules for anyone wishing to use the English language correctly.

One person found this helpful

See more reviews

Image Unavailable

Follow the Author